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Comment by caseysoftware | Hacker News Reader

Did you skip the vaccine?

I caught it early, before vaccines were available in my area.

I got vaccinated when I could and got yearly updates, though I understand the US is clamping down on boosters now? Not sure what I’m going to do this year.

There's no "clamping down", it's just not a recommendation for some groups anymore.

“Not recommended” means probably no insurance coverage, which means probably too expensive for me to get.

Thanks for the nitpick.

Lots of "probably" in there.

Instead of spreading misinformation and being rude to strangers, you could check.

> There's no "clamping down". .

This statement is patently false, as you yourself admit in the next clause.

Thank you, I wasn't aware of that definition.

The facts: - FDA policy now limits readily approved boosters only to people over 65 or those with high-risk conditions. - The CDC officially removed routine COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women in May 2025. - The FDA adopted a stricter “vaccination regulatory framework” requiring randomized controlled trials for new boosters aimed at low-risk populations. - Across HHS and CDC, there have been substantial layoffs—around 20% in FDA and CDC—alongside overhauls that have disrupted pandemic preparedness programs and health agency capacity. Your friendly check on the shitty times we live in. Good luck with Covid, MAGA doesn't believe in vaccines.

> The FDA adopted a stricter “vaccination regulatory framework” requiring randomized controlled trials for new boosters aimed at low-risk populations.

Do the previous randomized controlled trials meet the new criteria?

Good question. Answer is probably yes. They were proven safe at the time. But of course this requires quite a lot of additional evidence, datasets, etc. And likely it would require Phase IV trials against large populations. Very expensive. These vaccine-denying Repubs will find a way.

The vaccines were all made for early varients. Once the omicron varient came along, it had so many changes from the original strain that the effect of the vaccines were essentially unproven.

The vaccines were definately useful, and had a big impact, but unfortunately corona viruses change too quickly.

Aren't the vaccines updated regularly? Isn't that the point of the boosters?

No shortage of people who got vaccinated got long COVID anyway.

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